Management and Marketing - Research Publications

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Start date: 2010 × End date: 2019 × Author: Sammartino, Andre × Author: Gundlach, Sarah ×

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    Are international small business owners really that different?
    Gundlach, S ; Sammartino, A (Emerald, 2019)
    Purpose: This paper investigates the impact of individual traits and attributes on the entrepreneurial and internationalization actions of Australian businesswomen, many of whom run small businesses. Design/methodology/approach: This exploratory quantitative study interrogates a survey of 323 Australian businesswomen. The study explores two micro-foundational relationships– (1) personality and capability assessment differences between female business owners and their employed counterparts, and (2) the impact of such traits and assessments on their internationalization. Differentials in perceptions of barriers to internationalization are also investigated. Findings: The study finds few differences on key personality dimensions between female business owners and their employed counterparts, or between women who are engaged internationally and those yet to do so. The findings around tolerance for ambiguity and management efficacy are notably counter-intuitive. This prompts the development of testable propositions on the dynamic interplay between perceptions and internationalization. Practical implications: The study questions the distinctiveness of entrepreneurs’ personalities, at least for female businesswomen. Starting and internationalizing a small business may have a transformative effect, however. Originality/value: By including small business owners and employees, women who have engaged internationally and those that are yet to do so, the study avoids some of the potential self-selection and confirmation biases inherent in studies of only entrepreneurs or small business owners. The investigation of individual traits, attributes and experiences as micro-foundations for internationalization motivations challenges existing theories of small business expansion and refocuses attention on how self-perceptions may alter over time.